Is It Worth It To Buy Animal Crackers At Aldi?

Who doesn't love animal crackers? Whether they're providing a moment of nostalgia for an older person, serving as a quick after-school snack for a grade-schooler just getting off the bus after a long day of learning, or being handed out to a toddler by a harried mom, they're a treat that has stood the test of time.

But just like anything else you might be tempted to pick up at the grocery store, it just might pay to take a minute to ensure you're getting the best deal you can, particularly on something like animal crackers, which may often be an impulse purchase. And in fact, a recent quick check of prices on animal crackers revealed a wide range of prices, depending on where you shop.

As just one comparison between a couple of stores, a 16-ounce package of Trader Joe's Organic Animal Crackers was priced at $4.99, a little more than 31 cents per ounce, while Kroger was offering its store brand animal crackers at $5.49 for 30 ounces, a little more than 18 cents per ounce.

And recently, The Krazy Coupon Lady steered readers away from Benton's Animal Crackers at Aldi, where they were selling at $3.49 for a 13-ounce package, 27 cents per ounce, noting that Walmart had 32-ounce packages of Stauffer's Animal Snack Crackers priced at $4.88, 15 cents per ounce. "While Aldi does win on a lot of snack prices, animal crackers aren't it," The Krazy Coupon Lady told readers.

But whether The Krazy Koupon Lady will dissuade Aldi shoppers from buying Benton's Animal Crackers is very much likely to be an open question. The cookies have something of a cult following, including fans who are particularly enamored with the tiny cookies' hint of lemon flavor.

Benton's Animal Crackers also get some love on Facebook, with Aldi Aisle of Shame Community posts claiming the cookies taste just like the McDonaldland cookies available at McDonald's a few decades back. "I'm reliving my childhood ... if you're a child of the 70's-80's these taste EXACTLY McDonaldLand cookies!!" reads one post. The independent Aldi Reviewer compares Benton's Animal Crackers favorably to Barnum's Animals, a perennial favorite made by Nabisco since 1902.

"Benton's tastes a lot like Barnum's, with a light, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and a sweetness that's just right," a reviewer opined. "Our testers had no problem eating lots of them in one setting."

Benton's is an Aldi house brand, a brand name used exclusively by the chain for products sold at prices typically lower than comparable products sold under well-known brand names. As such, it's not clear exactly what company makes Benton's products, which include an array of other cookies on Aldi shelves.

Among the other Benton's cookies at Aldi are fudge mint, peanut butter, and caramel coconut fudge cookies that some suspect are made by the same American companies that make Girl Scout cookies, which are either ABC Bakers or Little Brownie Bakers.